Total U.S. Printing-Writing Paper Shipments Increased 13% in April 2024

Resolute Forest Products Inc. announced two separate transactions to grow and improve the competitiveness of its wood products business. Resolute reached an agreement with Louisiana-Pacific Corporation to acquire the latter's 50% equity interest in two joint ventures that produce I-joists in the Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec for $50 million, subject to customary adjustments. Resolute-LP Engineered Wood Larouche Inc. and Resolute-LP Engineered Wood St-Prime Limited Partnership are located in Larouche and Saint-Prime, respectively, and are equity method investments in which Resolute has a 50% interest in each entity. Resolute operates the facilities and its joint-venture partner, Louisiana-Pacific, sells the products. Resolute will enter into agreements with Louisiana-Pacific to continue to serve as the exclusive distributor of the engineered wood products manufactured at the two operations. In a separate transaction, Resolute also announced an agreement signed on February 11 with Boralex (TSX: BLX) for the purchase of a cogeneration facility in Senneterre, Quebec. "The purchase of the 34.5-megawatt cogeneration facility, adjacent to our Senneterre sawmill, builds on our significant investments in the region, including the ongoing project toward a new planer and associated equipment we announced last summer, as well as operational improvements recently completed at our Comtois sawmill. With this cogen, we will maximize the use of biomass from our regional operations, generating green power and providing a platform for future growth and enhanced competitiveness in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region. We are pleased to welcome the 30-plus employees of the cogeneration facility to Resolute," added Mr. Lalonde.

Stora Enso has decided to commence a feasibility study and environmental permit application process on enhancing and expanding the pulp- and board-making capabilities at its Skoghall Mill in Sweden. The investment would leverage the already strong mill into an integrated, highly cost-competitive and environmentally-friendly producer of packaging board and bleached softwood market pulp. The investment would serve customers globally and further establish Stora Enso as a provider of high-quality, renewable packaging materials. The feasibility study will evaluate a possible upgrade and expansion of existing integrated pulp capacity from 370 000 tonnes to 780 000 tonnes annually and a possible increase of 120 000 tonnes in board capacity. After the investment, the mill would be integrated close to 100%, with an additional 220 000 tonnes of softwood market pulp. This would enable a further increase in cost-competitive board production. The project would also significantly lower the fossil CO2 emissions of production. The findings of a recently completed pre-feasibility study supported continuation of the investment process.

The Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers (AWPPW) has given Ponderay Newsprint the ten (10) days written notice of termination of the Labor Agreement. The Labor Agreement terminated in its entirety on July 24, 2017. The Company has continued to delay in meeting with the Union and has delayed in providing information that is relevant to the collective bargaining process. The Union believes that terminating the current labor agreement is an essential step in the direction of the Union's goal of achieving a new labor agreement. Termination of the Labor Agreement will provide the Union the opportunity to engage in an unfair labor practice strike to encourage the employer to bargain to an agreement in good faith. Click Read More below for more of the story.